the end of day six

The end of day six

Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; LORD, be my help.” You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever. (Psalm 30:10-12)

Today has been a good day. We had a good service in church this morning with good response. The sermon went well and seemed to go over. There was the typical sleeper but she always does.

After church we had 7 people over for dinner. Left over spaghetti and tacos, two things that go over well here. The group was a mixed bag of people, my favorite kind of gathering. Our friends from North Platte left about 1:30 and everyone stayed and talked until 3:30.

It was good. I, of course, sat not eating so I did the serving of the stuff in the hot dishes. After an initial surprise at my not eating, they all got used to it. They knew I was on the fast. Lunch didn’t bother me. It was later while we were watching a movie that I found myself hungry. And I am still not sure it was real hunger.

When you see stuff you want specifically, it isn’t real hunger. It is desire. There is a world of difference. Most of my life has been satisfying my desire, when it comes down to it. Comfort foods play a large role in my eating habits, and why have one helping when you can have two.

That is the way most of us operate in this country. All of the advertising on TV and the like are geared to impulse eating. The shelves at the check-out counter are stocked with impulse food, food that has absolutely no nutritional value. In fact, it is stuff that if the average person from other countries were to eat it, they would be sick. But in America, overweight people who are not hungry are still satisfying desire.

That is the problem tonight, along with the muscle cramping that will not quit. It is getting old. Sooner or later it has to quit as my body adjusts to its new status quo. Right now my right forearm is cramping from the typing.

I also tend to be light headed, and this morning I got tired playing the guitar. I had to stop the praise earlier than I wanted to. Couple that with the fact that my back kept cramping and I got a small cramp in my abdomen as I sang and it made what is always pleasant somewhat unpleasant.

It’ll go away. Our friend from North Platte, the one who is worrying about me hurting myself with this fast, was dying to know what I would eat first when I got off my fast. I don’t know and will not spend a lot of time thinking about it. The point of this fast is to get in touch with the will of God, not to spend a lot of time thinking about future fulfillment.

I know this, though. I will not start eating like I did the last time I got off a long fast, just eating anything and everything. My stomach has already shrunk so that I fit an old suit again and some smaller jeans I have kept around on the off chance that I lost weight. And I have dropped 25 pounds so far. Being on the Atkins diet before you fast is a fast-track way to lose weight.

I pray for a healthy church here in Lincoln. I pray for the churches in Nebraska, a hard place for the Foursquare Church.

Father God, hear me. I ask for your power and strength for the churches, especially in this section of the United States, that you may give them power and strength. Plug them into your glory. Fill them with your majesty. Hear me as I call on you to answer my pleas. Give me strength and discernment to know your will. Take away the depression and the sadness that has permeated my life. Relieve also the discomfort that I am feeling in this fast. I praise you. Amen.